Intoxication
by greenolive
Summary: Drinking is a bad habit. When it gets out of hand, others have to pay the price. SasuSaku, NaruSaku
1. Say what?

Woot woot, I'm back again! Enjoy my latest creation!

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. Poo.

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Intoxication

Say What?

_They went back. Back to that place. Back to the place where the cockroaches ran rampant over sticky pools of unknown substances on the floor. Back to the place where endless numbers of forlorn messages were carved into the tables. Back to the place where their hearts broke every single time they stepped in._

Haruno Sakura sighed as she gazed at her surroundings. Here they were, once again, in that disgusting bar that she hated with the smoky air and the foul odor. If it hadn't been for her teammates, she would never have come to the dilapidated drinking establishment. The whole place depressed her. Speaking of teammates, she turned her attention back to the two silent boys. What she saw depressed her even further.

Naruto was busily working on his third bottle of sake, face turning pinker with every sip. His usual energetic, boyish look was replaced with one that appeared tired and sad. He hiccupped and rested his chin on his hand, but continued to drink.

"_He looks so different now,"_ she thought, _"definitely more mature."_

And it was true. He had transformed into a more thoughtful man, and although he didn't flirt as much with Sakura anymore, she was pretty sure that he was still infatuated with her. It showed in his eyes every time she told him she couldn't hang out with him because she was going on a date with some other guy. She felt terrible whenever she had to say things like that, but it was better than lying. Her suggestions to him of asking other girls out just went in one ear and out the other.

Sitting next to the blonde was Sasuke, on his fourth bottle, even moodier and darker than usual. In her eyes, he became more beautiful as he became broodier. But despite these thoughts, she had truly gotten over her girlish crush. Sure, a few strands of the old affection remained, but it was softened and nothing close to the infatuation that was present when they were younger. Besides, Sasuke had come back to Konoha… a different person. He came back….a player. A manwhore. A pervert. A playwhorevert. He had dated at least half of the girls in the village, and based on Ino's "completely-and-totally-factual" reports, at least half had their "first time" with him. The thought made Sakura want to gag. Honestly, how had she ever fallen for a guy like that?

They had been doing this for a few months now. After some particularly hard missions, they would come out here and have a drink to "relieve stress." Most of the time however, it was Sasuke and Naruto getting seriously drunk, fighting with each other, sobbing out their troubles, acting stupid (which was rather hilarious for other customers), and leaving Sakura to walk/drag them home. But not once did she complain.

_Those two have been through a lot. If drinking helps them, well, it's better than other things._

Still, she couldn't help but wish that sometimes she could just get completely plastered, enjoy herself, and know that someone was watching her back.

Struck out of her reverie by a loud crash, she realized that Sasuke and Naruto were fighting on the other side of the bar. Again. Sighing for the seventy sixth time that night, she walked over to the two to break them up. Loud shouts were heard and she quickened her pace.

_Better get there before the Rasengan and Chidori come out._

Reaching the site of the brawl, she found them both on the floor, the blonde trying to rip the other's hair out while being snared in a headlock.

"Hey!" she yelled, "Quit it, guys!"

They immediately pulled apart and looked up at her with apologetic eyes.

"Oooh, sooorry Saaakuuura," slurred the blonde, "but that _dobe _was soooo…eh."

"Saaakuuuraaa. Naruto is such a _teme_. Don't get near…hic…him."

Upon these strange utterances, Sakura shook her head.

_Did they just say...? Yep, they're good and drunk._

"Come on boys, it's time to go home," she stated, "You're completely hammered."

"Yea-ah!" exclaimed Naruto, "whattaya think happens when we d-drink?"

"Heh, I wish you knew," she muttered as she helped them up and leaned both of them on her shoulders.

Struggling under all the extra weight, but happy to be going home, Sakura felt a few small drops from the sky.

_Oh, hell no._

It was rain. Rain was coming down. Rain was coming down _now. _Now, of all times. Cursing her bad luck, she tried to strategize a way home.

_Okay, it's about a five mile trip from here to their houses and back to my house….. Don't tell me I have to walk about five miles in the rain carrying these guys!! Maybe the rain will stop soon…_

Thunder boomed across the village as the storm's intensity increased. Sasuke stuck his tongue out trying to catch the drops. A light smack on the head and his tongue immediately receded.

_Oh, great. So it's _not_ going to stop anytime soon. That's just wonderful…… I don't want to dump them at an inn, and we certainly are not staying in this bar… so I guess….oh man._

Breathing sigh number seventy-seven, she oriented herself towards her own home and started walking, pulling her teammates along. It looked like they were going to have to stay the night.

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Well, we're back in business, folks. Reviews are greatly appreciated. 


	2. First Appearances

Thank you WhiteDorian, my only reviewer (so far)! I appreciate you!

I'm in the middle of watching the Naruto anime series and all these fillers are seriously killing me. Maybe if we pretend they aren't there, they'll go away.

Enjoy the next chapter!

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First Appearances

Upon entering her home, Sakura was thankful for the familiarity and warmth. Getting the two boys home had not been easy. Thanks to their drunken antics, she was now soaking wet, covered in mud, and had dozens of twigs snagged in her hair. She was not a happy woman. The shower called to her, but she had to take care of her teammates first.

"Alright boys," she ordered, "clothes off. Don't get any ideas; you just have to stay dry."

They responded immediately, removing their jackets and shirts. Once she was satisfied that they wouldn't cause too much trouble, she trudged into her bedroom and rummaged in her closet. Grabbing two fluffy yellow towels, she marched back into the living room and flung them at her teammates.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed as he made a move to remove his last piece of clothing, "Boxers stay on! That goes for you too, Sasuke. Dry yourselves off. Just leave your clothes, I'll wash and dry them for you. Oh, there are blankets next to you, and since there are two couches, each of you can sleep on one, okay? I'm going to shower, so please don't cause anymore trouble. You're already going to wake up with massive hangovers, so just sleep, alright?"

"Sakuraaaa," said the raven haired boy, "where do you keep the booze?"

Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself and reminding herself that they were drunk, she answered as tranquilly as she could.

"Go. To. Sleep. I am showering now. Destroy anything in this house and you may not live to experience that hangover. Understand?"

She took the silence as a yes. Making her way to her bedroom once again, she prayed that nothing would go wrong for the rest of the night.

* * *

"_Thank heaven for showers,"_ Sakura thought as she let the hot water run down her body. Here was where she could rest, get clean, and hopefully get in a better mood. She was a little worried about the boys downstairs, but decided that it would be okay. 

_I don't hear anything; they're probably just sleeping. Yeah…. sleeping._

Unfortunately for her, the blissful shower was ruined by an abrupt banging on the door.

"Saaaakuraaa!" a deep voice called, "Lemme in! I got the booze and Naruto is gonna find me and take it!"

_Why me? WHY ME?!?!_

"Sasuke, go away," she yelled, "put the sake down and just go downstairs!"

"No way, Sakura! He's not getting any!"

And with an ear deafening crack, Sasuke kicked open the door to the bathroom, arms loaded with several bottles.

"SASUKE!!!" she screamed, wrapping herself in the shower curtain and blushing furiously, "GET OUT!!!!"

"Whaaaat? I can't see through the shower curtain, so what's wrong?"

"GET OUT!!!"

"Aww, come on, I'll just hide out for a little bit."

Realizing that there wasn't much she could do, she leaned her head on the tiled wall and sighed.

"Okay. You can stay for a while. Don't even try peeking."

"What, you don't trust me?"

"No," she replied and added mentally, "_pervert."_

Silence overtaking the bathroom once again, she picked up a bottle of shampoo, popped open the lid and squeezed out the sweet-smelling pink stuff. She heard the clanging of a sake bottle hitting the bathroom counter, and soon after the sound of her name followed.

"Sakura?"

"Yeah, Sasuke?"

"Do you think I'm a total jerk?"

She stopped cold in the middle of her lathering. What was she supposed to say? Of course he was a jerk! He ran around with all those other girls, strung her along, and broke her heart. Yet, even though every cell in her body compelled her to say yes, the way he had said it made her want to say no. Luckily for her, he didn't wait for a reply.

"I wonder why you don't look at me anymore."

"What? Of course I look at you. I see you practically every day."

"That's not what I mean."

_Yeah, I know._

A little rustle could be heard as he took a drink from the bottle.

"Ever since I came back, you weren't as…… I don't know…… friendly."

Biting her lip, she rinsed the suds out of her hair and searched for a reply.

"Well, yeah. You know, you were always dating those other girls, so I thought that I should stop bugging you."

"I...I didn't want you to stop bugging me."

"_What?!?" _she screamed mentally, "_Is this the alcohol talking?!?"_

"I thought you said that you loved me."

"Oh Sasuke, we were only twelve….."

"Yeah, but………still. Why do you think I even went out with those girls?"

"I don't know, Sasuke."

"Yes you do."

"No, I really don't."

"God, you're slow. Come on. You haven't taken a sip all night and you're the one that's got the slow reaction time……. I liked you back…. duh."

In her shock, the bottle of conditioner she was holding flew out of her hands. She flailed about frantically to pick it up. What was he talking about? This didn't even make any sense. And he didn't mean any of this, he was drunk, right? Trying to play it cool but struggling for words, she used the universal answer to every statement.

"Oh."

Still trying to make sense of what was happening, she decided to push the conversation further.

"Well Sasuke, you were having quite a fun time with those other girls, hm? So how can you say you liked me back?"

Another swig from the bottle and he replied, "Yeah. Okay. I had my fun. Ino was absolutely insane, but the way her hips moved all the time….."

_Ino? She went out with Sasuke? The traitor! I thought she said she hated him!_

"And Tenten, oh my God, talk about buns……."

_Please mean her hair, please mean her hair, PLEASE MEAN HER HAIR!!!!!_

"Whoa, and we can't forget Hinata….. that girl is _wild. _First appearances are actually quite deceiving."

_WHAT?!? Hinata?!? Oh, if Neji finds out about this……_

After shaking out the mind-scarring thoughts of her friends with Sasuke, she tuned back into his speech.

"But you know, it was always you I was aiming for. Always you. And the more I tried to make you jealous, the further away you drifted."

A pause ensued as he took another drink.

"I guess you probably hate me for what I've done, and I understand that. Still, I want you to love me again…….and yes, I am drunk……but I know what I'm saying."

Sakura was dumbfounded. Here, in the shower, naked, she had discovered that the man of her childhood dreams, clad only in boxers, finally liked her back. Was it too late for him? She asked herself that question over and over as she slowly turned the water off.

Was it really too late?

More importantly, did he even know what he was saying? He claimed to be aware, but it didn't seem likely…….

Her thoughts were interrupted when several bumps were heard along with Naruto's voice.

"Oi! Sasuke-teme! Hand over the sake, man!"

Scooping up the bottles on the counter, Sasuke got ready for his escape.

"Wait, Sasuke!" she called as he put one foot out the door.

"Yeah?" he questioned.

"Hand me that towel over there."

She wrapped herself in the extended towel and stepped out, gazing at the boy she thought she had loved. He was beautiful, although a little red in the face, but his muscles definitely had not disappeared through the years...and those abs! Abs were her secret weakness...any guy with a six-pack was definitely on her "awesome list." And judging by his abdominals, Sasuke definitely had a shot at the Top 5. Feeling slightly embarassed and cold, she stood on tiptoe, gave him a light kiss on the cheek, and smiled.

"Save some of that sake for me."

Giving her a rare smile, he hopped out the door, bottles in hand, and hopelessly tried to hide under a nearby table.

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Well, I have to say, I'm impressed with my recent writing speed, which isn't saying much. Since we're having that whole winter weather crisis where I live I haven't been to school in over a week. So here I am, authoring away. It's pretty awesome. Except they say we're going to miss spring break...dun dun dun. 

Till next time,

greenolive (the author trapped in the newly proclaimed national disaster area)


	3. Awkward

Hrm...here's chapter 3...I think someone is watching me.

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Awkward

After chasing the boys out of her room a few moments earlier, Sakura slammed the door shut and tried to calm down. They had just gone in, put a hole in her wall, ripped down all the clothes in her closet, and seriously mussed up her sheets. A chair and desk were overturned too. Although it took several heavy items thrown in their direction, they were finally gone. Drying herself off with her towel, she regretted ever taking them home.

_This is what you get when you try to be a good person. Your house is destroyed, your privacy is invaded, and you get your booze stolen as a cherry on top._

Still angry, Sakura slipped on a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top. Her bad mood only increased when she remembered that Tsunade-sama had asked her to look over a ton of medical scrolls which were now scattered all over the floor. Picking up a scroll, she flopped back on her bed, prayed for some peace, and began to study.

A loud crash sounded followed by pounding on her bedroom door.

"Sakura-chaaaan! Let me in!"

Not wanting to suffer another broken door, she quickly got up and opened it. Standing in the door way was Naruto in his green boxers, holding several bottles of sake, probably stolen from Sasuke.

"What do you want, Naruto? Is it not enough to break my house?"

"Aw, Sakura-chan, look. Sasuke is outside 'cause he thinks I'm in a tree hiding this stuff. Well, he's gonna figure it out pretty soon and come looking, so can I hide out for a little bit?"

_Seems like I happen to know all the best hiding spots…_

"Yeah, okay Naruto, just be quiet."

"OF COURSE I WILL!!!"

"Ugh."

Throwing herself back on the bed, she picked up the scroll she was previously studying and started again. The blonde boy made his way to the other side of her bed and slid in. He began drinking, barely stopping for breath, and he started to sniffle. When the noise became unbearable, she cracked.

"Naruto! Stop! If you drink like that, you're going to drown yourself. And… oh man….are you crying?"

"No!" he replied as his sobs got louder.

Sakura sighed and set the scroll down.

"Okay, okay. What's wrong, Naruto?"

"It's nothing…"

"You wouldn't cry if it was nothing….."

"It's nothing!!!"

"Alright, could this be about...missions?"

"No."

Is this about…ramen?"

"No!"

"Is this about…..Sasuke?"

"No."

"Is it about…..me?"

He only stared in response and took another drink. After a few moments, he began to break down once more. Sighing again, she turned to him and extended her arms.

"Come here, Naruto."

As soon as he was given the invitation, he pounced. He squeezed her to no end and cried even harder. She wrapped her arms around him and patted him on the back. After several moments, she started to stroke his hair, and he started to calm down.

"Okay…. I'm good," he finally sighed as he rolled away to the opposite side of the bed.

"Are you sure?" she questioned. He had been really warm, and her body was missing the heat.

"Yeah…I'm fine."

"Okay. Whenever you're ready to talk, I'm here."

They sat back on the bed for what seemed like hours. Sakura quickly went through the pile of scrolls as Naruto drained the last of her sake stores. Reaching for the last bottle, he hiccupped and called her name.

"Sakura?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm ready to talk now."

"Okay."

There were a few uncomfortable, silent moments, but he began slowly and surely.

"Sakura, what do I have to do to get you to love me back?"

Whoa. This was awkward.

"Don't be silly Naruto, of course I love you."

"Not the way I want you to, though."

She had to admit, he was right on that one. Sure, she had considered the possibility of them being together sometimes, but it never seemed quite right to her.

"Is it because of Sasuke? Do you still love him? 'Cause I thought you were all done with that."

"Ugh, no, Naruto, that isn't it," she replied as a shiver ran down her spine, "that definitely isn't it."

"Then why not me? I've loved your forever…..that isn't enough already? I always tried to protect you, show you kindness, treat you right……but you never ever cared about me. It was always Sasuke, Sasuke, and Sasuke. And even after you got over him, you still didn't care about me. You went out with a whole bunch of other guys and barely gave me a glance."

Now this wasn't fair.

"Whoa, Naruto. I don't think that's fair for you to say that. How many times have I taken care of your wounds, cooked you ramen, and made sure that you didn't do anything stupid? What do you think I'm doing tonight? Do you honestly think that if I didn't love you, I would take you home with me, get you dry, and let you drink my booze? Do you?"

He was becoming angry now, face contorted in a scowl.

"Is that what you think, then, Sakura-_chan_?" he snarled as he began to move to where she was lying.

"Yeah, that's what I think!" she called defiantly.

He crawled until his body was directly over hers. She suddenly wasn't so confident anymore and pressed herself into the bed. Scared by his advance, she cried out to him.

"Naruto! What are you doing?! Stop!"

"Shut up."

_What?_

Moving so that his face was an inch away from hers, he snarled again.

"Now, look at me, and tell me you love me! Look at me and say it!"

She was really scared now. He had pinned her arms down, and all she could do was look. His floppy blonde hair was in front of his blue eyes which usually were filled with friendliness but looked angry now. His breath was shallow, and she could smell the heavy scent of alcohol.

"Naruto, please……stop."

"Tell me you love me!"

He started to panic, his eye darting back and forth, and he seemed more scared than she did. Noticing this body language, Sakura took advantage of it, wanting to end this as soon as possible.

"Okay, I love you, Naruto."

His face flashed thousands of emotions upon hearing this, finally settling on fear and disbelief.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan! I'm sorry!" he cried as he backed off of her and curled into a little ball next to her. He tangled his hands in his hair and started to cry once more, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! Sorry, sorry, sorry….."

This was getting too weird. Naruto, who had always been so sweet, had just "attacked" her and now he was crying (again)!

_I swear, they are never drinking again._

She looked over at him, and couldn't help but feel sorry. He was in such a pitiful state, and she felt her motherly instincts take over. Unwrapping his arms from around his head, she quietly straightened out his body and leaned herself on top of him. Resting her chin on his shoulder, she began to stroke his hair and whisper.

"It's okay, Naruto……I know you didn't mean it……hush, it's okay."

Flipping around suddenly, he grabbed her around the waist and clutched her tightly. She was taken aback, but slowly let herself be held. He had stopped crying now, and buried his face into her stomach. In his tight grip, she could do nothing but slowly stroke his hair and stare as he breathed into her.

_Oh Naruto……what are we going to do with you?_

She looked down at him and thought about everything they had been through together.

_The missions were so difficult….bringing Sasuke home was tough too……but they are nothing compared to how difficult this is……Have you really waited for me all this time?...Heh, I've gotta give you credit for that. I didn't even hold out for Sasuke this long……..Wow, your hair is soft._

And it was true. She looked at the rest of him, seemingly finding a whole new Naruto. With well-toned muscles, cute face, fun personality, and dare she say it, sexy hair, he was the whole package. Not to mention that he was totally devoted to her. She scolded herself for her adolescent thoughts, but found it slightly humorous that she had not noticed him before.

_Shame on you Sakura….. Naruto has done everything for you…..he was here even when Sasuke left you……he has never given up…..and just now you realize it….……and .he was sort of right…..what I do for him is so trivial compared to what he does for me…_

A weird feeling came over her, making her hot and uncomfortable. Looking over at the clock, she saw that it was almost two in the morning. Moving her arms so that they rested on top of his, she gently tried to pry him away. He responded by gripping her tighter.

"Hey, hey," she cooed, "I've got to go put your clothes in the wash now. You don't want to walk home in your boxers tomorrow, right?"

His grip loosened slightly.

"Besides, you need to sleep. Here, I'll help you into the living room."

With the squeak of the bedsprings, he sat up and tried to stand. He began to wobble slightly, and Sakura rushed over before he could completely fall. Threading one arm around his waist and using the other to support his body, she walked him out to the living room. Gently laying him out on a couch, she turned to grab a blanket and covered him. She bent down and stared at his face for a few moments longer; making sure that he would actually be okay. After deciding everything was alright, she turned to look for the wet clothes that were scattered everywhere.

_If someone walked in here right now and saw us…..oh, the conclusions they would draw….._

Once she had gathered all of the clothes (How had those pants ended up in the fish tank?) she walked towards the laundry room, passing the sleeping Naruto one last time. She had not walked five steps when she stopped, backed up, bent down, and pressed a small kiss on his forehead.

"I really do love you, you know," she whispered as she headed for the laundry room once more.

She never saw the corners of his mouth turn up into that famous goofy grin.

* * *

OMG. I scared myself while writing this one! Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review, it helps me go on. 


	4. Truce

So chapter four is up. See if you can spot the song reference. Brownie points to you if you find it!

Maybe I should give you guys a clue...okay.

Clue: cookie commercial

Enjoy.

* * *

Truce

Sakura padded quietly into the laundry room. Setting down the load of wet clothes she was carrying, she shut the door behind her. After making sure that she was absolutely alone, she wiggled her arm into the crack between the washer and dryer and began to feel around the area.

_Come on, I know you're in there._

When several more seconds had passed, her hand brushed up on a glass surface.

_Gotcha._

She strained her reach a little further and grabbed the object, pulling it out and admiring it.

_The last bottle of sake……….they never found it….._

She gently blew the dust off the bottle and popped it open, bringing it to her lips. The first sip felt like magic inside of her, and she gave a tiny smile, but that little happiness was destroyed when she remembered what she was in there for.

_Geez…..still gotta do their laundry…._

Picking up the entire load of laundry, she dumped into the washer, not even bothering to spread out the clothing. She dumped in a cup of soap, shut the top, turned a few knobs, and listened as the machine rumbled into life.

_Okay…..relaxing time…._

She grabbed the bottle of sake again, and hopped on top of the washer. Taking another sip, she fell into a moment of quiet reverie.

_Well……tonight has certainly been an adventure. I can't believe that all of this happened. First, Sasuke in the shower, and then Naruto……_

Her eyes shot open as she realized her predicament.

_I'm going to have to choose between them! I can't do that………I can't……….I love them both……… this is so unfair…_

And yes, it was unfair. Sasuke, whom she had crushed endlessly on as a little girl, finally admitted he loved her, and even went to such lengths as to try to make her jealous. Naruto, on the other hand, made her realize how terrible she had been to him, but he still proclaimed his strong affections. Life was utterly, totally, and completely unfair.

_But I can't choose Naruto because he made me feel guilty, and I can't choose Sasuke just because he tried to make me jealous…………_

She stopped her thinking at this point to take a couple more gulps from the bottle in her hand. Wiping her mouth on the back of her hand, she continued to ponder.

_Okay, let's think logically. Pros and cons. _

_Sasuke…… pro….he is _beautiful_…..and he tried to make me jealous! But, he kind of ended up whoring himself out…so that's a con. He is really kind inside, I'm sure….that's a pro. But he never really shows it, and he even acts like a temperamental monster, so that's two cons. He ran away from Konoha to join Orochimaru and the forces of evil on emo farm...con... but he came back because he cared about us….pro._

She was not able to think of any further points, so she looked down at her fingers where she had been keeping count, one hand for pros, the other for cons. When she saw that both hands were holding four fingers up, she swore under her breath.

_Well, that didn't work out._

_Moving on to Naruto……._

_Alright, he has loved me endlessly... definite pro…..He is a complete dork...con... He always takes care of me and defends me….pro. He has no fashion sense…con. Pro…he's easy to cook for… ramen all the time. Con…he always eats like an animal. Oh! He is super cute…. pro pro pro. But I don't want to hurt Hinata…so con._

Out of points once again, she looked down at her fingers.

_Dammit._

Both hands were even. Again.

She sighed and cradled her head in her hands, but not after taking a few more sips from the sake bottle. Her mind flashed between both boys.

_Naruto…Sasuke…Naruto….Sasuke…Naruto…Sasuke…Naruto…Sasuke….wait…Sasuke?_

_Oh my gosh, where is Sasuke!?!?_

She panicked as she realized she had forgotten about the whereabouts of the boys.

_Sasuke could be hurt, and Naruto may not be where I left him anymore!_

She jumped up and flew through the door into the hallway. Running down to the kitchen, she cursed herself for being so careless.

_You were supposed to watch them, you idiot! Here you are drinking and worrying about guy-problems when those boys could be dead! _

Popping into the dark, unlit kitchen, she scrambled around for a coat. She was frantic now, and on the verge of tears. Finding her favorite warm coat, she threw it on and was about to sprint into the cold night when she heard a muffled groan.

_Is that them?_

Stopping, she quickly flicked on the light switch. Much to her relief, both boys were there, but had somehow found a way onto her kitchen table. They were on the opposite ends of the table, and sleeping comfortably.

_Thank God….._

She was slightly puzzled as to why they were on her little table, but as long as they hadn't rolled in any dead animals or anything, she was okay. Feeling exhausted and emotionally spent, she turned off the lights and made her way over to the table.

_If you can't beat them…._

She slid onto the table, right between her two teammates. They shifted slightly in their places, but settled down quickly. She breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes.

_They're finally asleep…….yesssss….._

She tried to make herself comfortable by turning her head to her right, but what she got was a facefull of Naruto hair. Reflexively she recoiled, but not before she caught his scent. It was nice. He smelled like the outside, fresh from the rain. Of course, there was that permanent hint of ramen, but that was nice too. Stretching her arm out to the left, she reached for Sasuke and rested her hand lightly on his stomach. That was her fatal mistake.

"Sakura, don't even think about molesting me," grunted a low voice.

In a flash, she flipped over to face the raven-haired boy.

"I was not going to do anything to you!" she spluttered, sporting an unbecoming shade of crimson on her cheeks.

He snorted. "Yeah right, fangirl."

_That_ was crossing the line.

"Whatever, Mr. High and Mighty Man-Whore! I was barely even touching you, so screw you!"

"Tch, you know you want to," came his reply.

Sakura was stunned speechless. Indignant and embarrassed, she turned back to Naruto who had been listening to the small spat since he had been so rudely awakened. He was lying on his stomach, face buried in his arm, but she knew he was smiling.

"Don't worry, Sakura," he murmured, "….if you feel the need, you can grope me anytime."

She thumped him on the back and huffed.

"I don't think I'll be taking that offer anytime soon, thanks."

He emitted a low chuckle. "Don't you want me, baby?"

This was too much.

"Naruto! Don't talk like that, you pervert!"

"You sure you don't want to be a pervert with me?"

"Naruto, stop!"

"Yeah, dobe, stop. She's already blushing like the virgin she is," Sasuke threw in.

_That wasn't fair..._

"Psh, virgin and damn proud of it, lecher," she haughtily replied, "At least I don't go around and play musical beds with everyone."

The blonde laughed again and rolled so that he was facing her.

"Okay, okay, truce, guys. Let's go back to sleep."

With nothing left to say, she rolled back onto her back.

_Well…..that was embarrassing…. but it was kind of funny…_

Of course, she would never let them find that out. As she lay there in the dark, the comforting heat coming from her teammates surrounded her. Waves of sleep were washing over her, and her eyes fluttered closed. But as she fell asleep, she swore she could feel Naruto's hand gently clasping her own, and Sasuke's arm resting tentatively on hers. Even though she knew they would remember nothing when they woke up, feelings of happiness and content surged through her, and she drifted off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

* * *

Ta da... 

Did you find it?


	5. It's Okay

So, how many of you guys got it in the last chapter?

Anyways, the answer is "Don't You Want Me" by Human League. You know…… DON'T YOU WANT ME BABAAAAY! DON'T YOU WANT ME, OHHHHH!

Whew… after getting that out of my system, here is the next chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

**It's Okay**

Naruto woke to find several strange things:

He wasn't feeling too great.

He was on the floor.

He was _not _on _his_ floor.

He was _not _in _his_ house.

He was wearing only his boxers.

His long time friend/enemy/rival, Sasuke, was peacefully sleeping next to him a few inches away.

That certain friend/enemy/rival was also clad only in boxers.

They were both sleeping under the same blanket.

"OHMIGOSH SASUKE WAKE UP!!!!!" he screamed, only to clutch his aching head a few moments later.

"What do you want, Naruto?" the raven-haired boy groggily murmured.

"Get up, you bastard! What happened last night?" he questioned, sitting up and looking around.

"I don't know, and I don't care. Shut up so I can sleep."

"Get up already! This is freaking me out!"

"Okay, okay……..just quiet down…I've got a headache."

Propping himself up on his elbow, Uchiha Sasuke cracked his eyes open. After glancing around once, he ran his hand over his face and through his hair, seemingly in disbelief. Once again he looked down at himself, around at his surroundings, and finally rested his eyes on a half-naked, panicked Naruto.

"Oh my….Naruto, get away from me!" he yelled, rolling away from the blonde and hopping to his feet as realization it him.

"What happened last night?" the blonde whimpered, "did we….? But I…I'm not…."

"Hn…." Sasuke grunted, furrowing his brow while trying to remember.

"Oh no, don't tell me……we didn't! I'm not…."

"I don't remember what happened, but I don't think……."

"I FEEL MY MANLINESS LEAVING MEEEEE!!!!!!!" Naruto yelled, yanking furiously on his hair.

"Dobe, shut up! I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable……"

"But I'm straight!" he continued, still sitting on the floor, "I'm straight straight straight straight straight!"

Tugging even harder on his hair, Naruto glanced at Sasuke and glanced back at the floor. His gaze switched back to the brooding boy, the hair-tugging slowed, and his mouth opened slightly as last night came back to him………

"What?" Sasuke asked, not appreciating the staring.

"There's only one thing that could have happened." Naruto began, "You drugged me last night, took me to a strange place where no one would find me, took my clothes off, and then, you sicko, you…."

"Good morning guys!" a cheery voice sang, "Looks like you're awake, huh?"

Both boys stopped their fighting to find the owner of the strange voice.

Sakura popped out of a nearby doorway, a cup of black coffee in each hand.

"You guys must feel terrible, and I'm sorry, but I had to leave you on the floor because…."

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto cut in, "Wait a second…this makes perfect sense…you're a medic-nin, so of course you would have the drugs……SAKURA-CHAN, WHY?!?! I never knew you were so needy! You could have just asked me to…"

At this point, Naruto found a strong set of hands clapped firmly over his mouth.

"What is going on here?" our pink haired friend asked.

Sasuke struggled to keep Naruto quiet. "Eh, nothing. Aa, Sakura, tell us what happened last night."

"Oh," she started, "you don't remember?"

"No."

"Nothing?"

"Just tell us."

Her voice became softer as her face fell.

"Well, both of you were really drunk last night, and it was raining, so I dragged you guys to my house since it was closest."

There was a pause as they noticed her eyes shift to the left.

"Anyway, you guys just passed out on me. I had to use a lot of energy to carry you guys home. You're heavy, so….. I had to leave you on the floor because I didn't have any strength left… I'm sorry."

The two boys looked at each other.

"Sakura-chan, is that really what happened?" her normally hyperactive teammate

questioned, his face showing a little skepticism and concern.

"Yeah," she sighed, "Just thinking about it makes me tired, but that's what happened."

"O-okay, Sakura-chan."

"Well, here's your coffee….bathroom's upstairs, your clothes are in the drier, and they'll be out in a little bit. I'm going to go study now, but I'll walk you home later if you like."

"Thank you, Sakura."

"Don't worry about it."

She turned on her heels and left the two boys to their coffee.

* * *

"_So they don't remember……"_ she thought 

_Well, I expected as much. It's a good thing I didn't leave them on the table... they would have really freaked out then...but seriously, it's okay….. this will give me time to think things over. Just until they decide to tell me how they feel for real. If they ever tell me……..No, I shouldn't think like that! They're my teammates, and I'll care for both of them no matter what happens._

_Things will be okay.

* * *

_

A few hours later, her teammates were ready to go. Putting on a smile, she grabbed a jacket and stepped outside with them, Naruto on the left, Sasuke on the right. After walking for a few minutes, she heard her name being called.

"Um, Sakura-chan?"

"Yeah, Naruto?"

"I saw that your bathroom door was broken, and I was just wondering if maybe you wanted me to… fix it?"

"Why?"

"Well, you know, I…"

"Naruto, I…hang on…. Sasuke, listen to this too."

The prodigy turned his head to look at her.

"I'm getting the feeling that you guys don't believe me about last night."

There was only silence.

"Trust me, nothing happened. You both were passed out. _I_ broke the bathroom door a long time ago. Don't worry."

She laced her hands into theirs.

"Why would I lie to you?"

* * *

They quietly continued on their way, Sasuke eventually pulling his hand out of Sakura's. She did nothing except squeeze Naruto's hand a little tighter, much to the blonde's pleasure. He wondered why the girl who had generally tried to keep away from him was suddenly being so friendly, but didn't push it too far. She was holding his hand now, and that was all that mattered. Once they reached his house, she led both of them onto the porch. 

"I'll see you later, Naruto," was all she said. Reaching around him tentatively, she gave him a tender hug, squeezing gently. He reciprocated the hug while trying the resist the urge to squish her into his chest. Remembering that Sasuke was still there, he smirked at him, causing the brooding boy to assume his "I'm-so-bad-ass" stance, nose high in the air.

"_Oh yeah,"_ Naruto thought,_ "Sasuke, I know you like her, but guess who she's hugging now?"_

He released her slowly and regretfully as she felt her grip loosen. "See you later Sakura-chan," he called softly as he went into his house.

Hopping down from his porch, Sakura oriented herself in the direction of Sasuke's home. He followed close behind, always remaining one step back. They walked without speaking, the sound of their footsteps comfort enough. As they neared his home, he came a little bit closer to her. Each step he took was used to get one atom closer to her. Eventually, their arms were just centimeters apart, fingertips occasionally ghosting over one another's. When they reached his home, they stood on the porch, still not speaking. Sakura was the one to break the silence.

"Bye, Sasuke. I'll see you later too."

He nodded and looked towards the inside of his house. She began to feel awkward and started shifting on her feet.

"Well, I'll leave now. Have a good day."

She started down the steps but was abruptly stopped by an arm encircling her body. Turning around to discover what was going on, she was a little disappointed.

_Great..…it's the one-armed hug……..Honestly, he has no social skills….._

Nonetheless, she returned the hug with both arms, holding him just as she had Naruto. Following the brief hug, she started back home with Sasuke closing the door behind her. There was sadness in her heart, but there was also content. Content because she knew that there were two boys who loved her. Content because she knew that one of them was at home right now seriously thinking about never washing one of his loud orange suits again. Content because the other one was still standing just behind his door, blushing and running a hand through his raven locks. Content because no matter who she chose, the other would accept her decision. Content because she had time to choose. Content because everything would be okay.

Everything would be okay.

* * *

So there's the end. Um, my next fic may take a while because I have some serious school issues to stress over. Bleh. 


End file.
